Advances in semiconductor manufacturing technologies have resulted in dramatically increased circuit packing densities and higher speeds of operation. In turn, these advances have provided designers with the ability to produce many processor and communication functions that were not previously practical. In some instances these functions are combined in a single highly integrated device. In other instances these functions are partitioned into two or more devices or chips.
Advances in digital systems architecture, in combination with the advances in the speed and density of semiconductors, have resulted in the availability of substantial computing power and digital communications networks for relatively low cost. In turn, this has led to a vast installed base of computers and other computational platforms each with the ability to communicate with others.
Given the very large installed base of computational platforms, which includes at least personal computers and smartphones, it is not surprising that new operational paradigms for computational devices have been developed. It is noted that early computational platforms and communication networks served the military/industrial/commercial application space, whereas the vast increases in computational and communication capacities and concurrent cost reductions have resulted in today's ubiquitous platforms and networks serving the personal application space. Indeed, personal applications have gone beyond the deskbound model of interacting with a computer to a model wherein computing and communication hardware are truly personal items, are highly mobile, and are integrated into the fabric of modern living. Consistent with this usage model for powerful personal computational and communication devices, many applications of “on-the-go” computing and communication have been, and are being, developed. One class of such on-the-go applications involves Near Field Communication (NFC) between devices. Applications such as conducting financial transactions with stores, banks, trains, busses, and so on may be facilitated by the near-field coupling of two devices to exchange financial and/or personal information.
It will be appreciated that communications involving financial and/or personal information should be performed with a high degree of reliability. High reliability near-field communication is served by optimally aligning the antenna of an NFC tag, or tag emulator, with a reader field.
What is needed are methods, apparatuses and systems for measuring the received signal strength in multiple tag antennas disposed in an NFC tag, or tag emulator, during a near-field communication, and providing guidance for positioning the tag, or tag emulator, with respect to a reader field in connection with improving and maintaining a reliable communications connection.